From Bloomberg via The Edge, Singapore, April 16:
Asia’s wealthiest investors are flooding the artificial intelligence (AI) sector with billions in private capital, undeterred by intensifying scrutiny over sky-high valuations in the US.
High-net-worth individuals and family offices across the region deployed US$24.3 billion into global AI private rounds in 2025, an almost three-fold increase from the previous year, according to PitchBook data. The momentum has carried into the new year, with an additional US$950 million committed as of April 8.
The surge comes as industry titans like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic PBC continue to command massive valuations in funding rounds. For Asia’s elite, the allure of generational tech gains is outweighing the risks of a potential bubble.
“We see interest from wealthy individuals picking up,” said Nick Xiao, chief executive officer at Annum Capital, a Hong Kong-based multi-family office overseeing approximately US$1.5 billion. Xiao, who facilitates capital deployment into private tech firms across the US and China, said that the appetite for exposure remains robust despite the high-stakes nature of these deals.
While the upside potential is significant, the path to entry is increasingly complex with opaque structures such as special purpose vehicles and high management fees. Despite these hurdles, the capital deployed into private AI suggests that for Asia’s wealthy, the risk of missing the next technological shift is far greater than the risk of overpaying.
The push is increasingly fuelled by smaller family offices seeking “trophy assets” in the world’s most recognisable private unicorns.
“There’s been increased participation from smaller family offices,” said Nick Wong, chief executive officer of Turoid, an AI-driven wealth management platform. He has facilitated more than US$1 billion in private tech investments over the last five years, providing clients access to high-profile names like SpaceX and Anthropic through partnerships with venture capital firms and general partners.
According to Annum Capital’s Xiao, these investors typically commit US$5 million to US$10 million from a US$100 million to US$200 million portfolio for strategic private placements....
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